BizConnect San Antonio

Josie Benavidez, owner of The Mariachi Connection, joined the class thinking she was getting ready to retire. Instead, “it just put a spark in me.” BizConnect is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation pilot program for entrepreneurs in San Antonio, and we produced this two-minute video introducing it for the Foundation.

Essa Yousafzai, owner of Afghan Village Restaurant & Halal Market, says the class learned how to reach customers and market themselves. Heather Angel Chandler, another business owner in the class, had never had an elevator pitch, 15 years in, until an instructor showed the class “kind of the nuts and bolts.” The amazing thing about the program, Essa says, was “the small business owners, all of us together in one room,” and Heather calls it really interesting to have “this cross section of experience.” And Josie says, “I never missed a class.”

The grant helped too. Heather says that to be in the class, “you need to commit several full days away from the office to learn,” and the grant “kind of helps supplement income” while she’s gone. Josie plans to use the money “for our website.” Essa’s verdict: “I would definitely recommend the BizConnect program.”